1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to infusion arrangements for consumable liquids and more particularly to disposable infusion nozzle arrangements for multiple use in consumers"" edible liquids.
2. Prior Art
This patent application incorporates by reference U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,599 to Gruenewald entitled xe2x80x9cStatic Pressure Whipping Dispenser Equipped Products and Process of Operationxe2x80x9d.
The introduction of aerated whipped fluids from a pressurized whipping or emulsifying food product container have been used and known for some time. Such whipped, aerated or emulsified food products such as whipped cream have been utilized in households and in commercial establishments such as restaurants and bars. Such whipped cream has typically introduced onto a top layer of a liquid to be consumed, by a static pressure whipped cream dispenser such as that shown for example, by the U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,599. Other supply containers such as disposable aerosol cans or disposable cartridge dispensers have been utilized to apply such whippable fluids to drinks, pies, cakes and ice cream sundaes and the like at ice cream parlors, restaurants, hotels and commercial bakeries for decades. Such use is accomplished by agitating the aerosol dispenser can, and then holding it upside down and pointing its nozzle onto the top of the food/liquid being supplied with the whipped cream.
The introduction of such whipped fluids into any location within the primary food product has heretofore not occurred, or would have been accomplished by an elongated xe2x80x9cre-usablexe2x80x9d (expensive/required-cleanable) nozzle introduced into the a central or other internal portion of the edible commodity being infused.
Such a metal xe2x80x9cre-usablexe2x80x9d nozzle arrangement unfortunately has to be removed from the dispenser and cleaned and reinstalled onto the whipped cream dispenser. This is inconvenient and time consuming for such a routine in places such as fast-food type restaurants, regular restaurants, and bars, where it is desired to introduce a different flavor whipped product or permit the utilization of a different taste or mix of an infusible product into a subsequent customer""s purchase. This is not only time consuming, but it is wasteful and very likely an unsanitary activity by entry level employees at such restaurants, fast food establishments and bars.
There is a need then for the utilization of a dispenser nozzle of aerated whippable fluids into a succession of consumable, edible products whereby customer individuality is maintained, sanitation is ensured, and efficiency of the dispensing of such whippable or emulsified food products is maximized.
It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an infusion nozzle arrangement which is adapted to individual customer uses, is accepted by the National Sanitation Foundation and which dispensing nozzle provides for more than one use or function during its xe2x80x9ccustomer-usexe2x80x9d lifetime.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a unique nozzle arrangement for static whipped cream portable dispensers of the type where shaking is un-necessary and the cleaning of dispenser nozzles after each use is also eliminated.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the dispensing of whippable food products from a static, pressurized xe2x80x9cwhipxe2x80x9d dispenser device of whipped products. The static whipping device comprises a container having an interior chamber adapted to confine a propellant gas and a given amount of whippable fluid under a propellant gas pressure therein. The contents of the container may be discharged by through an upper cap element which is secured to the container and which closes the chamber. A pressure meter is arranged on the cap element to identify the amount propellant gas remaining within the internal chamber of the container. An internal receiving conduit is in fluid communication with the whippable liquid within the container. The internal receiving conduit has an upper end which is in fluid communication with the cap element. An articulable rigid, or an elongated flexible fluid discharge conduit is in fluid communication with the cap element. The discharge conduit has a manually actuated control valve on its distalmost end. The control valve on the distal end of the elongated fluid discharge conduit permits the whippable product to be propelled through the internal receiving conduit, the cap element, and the rigid or flexible discharge conduit and out of a nozzle on the discharge end of the control valve.
The discharge nozzle comprises a tapered truncated member which is adapted to receive a disposable elongated tubular element such as a straw or the like. Such a straw is typically between eight to twelve inches long and approximately three sixteenths to three eighths of an inch in diameter. Such a truncated discharge portion is tapered so as to permit the serial receipt a variety of diameter straws depending upon the nature of the food service operation and the nature of the infused product, for example, whipped cream, ice cream, flavorings, carbonated gases or the like) or consumable product into which the infused product is discharged.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a customer usable container such as a cup or a glass is filled with a consumable product such as a drink or a semi solid such as a smoothie, frozen drink, sundae or ice cream. A disposable elongated tubular member or straw (typically plastic) is slid onto the opened tapered end of the discharge nozzle. The device operator inserts the distalmost end of the elongated tube or straw into an inner or a central portion of the consumable product within the cup or glass or edible food container and opens the control valve so as to discharge a propellant and whippable product therefrom and into that inner or central portion of the consumable product within that cup, glass or consumable drinl. The tube or straw may be withdrawn from the consumable within the cup or glass so as to discharge a further infused product upon the upper surface of that consumable product, or the tubular member may be immediately removed from the open tapered discharge end of the discharge nozzle. Thus internal whipped emulsified and aerated product may be made and discharged within any inner or central portion or upper portion of a consumable product for an individual customer. The tubular element which is removed from the truncated portion of the discharge nozzle and is then left within the customer""s individual container. That tubular element thus also acts as the customer""s straw by which the customer may consume the consumable product or liquid within his/her own personal container.
The operator of the discharge device may then place a new elongated tube or straw on the truncated end of the discharge nozzle adjacently control valve to serve the next customer. Cleaning of the individual tubular dispensers which may have to be inserted into the next consumable product for the next customer is thus avoided and the sanitation of that product in dispensing operation is thus maintained.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elongated tubular element may have a generally curvilinear surface extending from one side edge of its distalmost end. Such curvilinear surface may function as a spoon and the straw functioning as a handle of that spoon to both serve as the infuser of the product within the consumable product and a personal eating utensil for the customer. By use of an infused product within the consumable liquid or semi solid within the cup or glass, less consumable product need be supplied to the glass or cup because of the displacement of the whipped cream or emulsified product therewithin requires less original consumable liquid originally poured into that customer""s container.
In a yet further preferred embodiment of the present invention, such a elongated tubular element may be utilized to carbonate drinks by infusing a chilled gas, chilled air or chilled fluid into the liquid within the cup or container of the customer.
Thus what has been shown is a disposable infusion arrangement or utilization with a whipped cream dispenser or the like which may be utilized by business establishments to serve individual customers faster, to their own individual requirements while saving on time, eliminating unsanitary conditions and providing a utensil for that consumer as well.
The invention thus comprises an arrangement for infusing a consumable infusable product into a customer-use container enclosing a first consumable product, comprising: a static whipping device having an internal chamber containing a pressurized gas and an amount of the first consumable product; an elongated discharge conduit in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the whipping device, the discharge conduit having a distal end with a control valve thereon, the control valve having an adaptor member to slidably receive a single-product discharge tubular member for discharge of an infusable edible product into the first consumable product; and a single-product tubular member slidable engaged onto the adaptor member for use as a straw by a consumer after the tubular member has discharged the infusable edible product into the first consumable product. The adaptor member may be a tapered, hollow channel member for providing snug, sliding receipt of the tubular member and passage of the infusable product therethrough. The single product tubular member may have a distal end with a curvilinear surface arranged on one side edge thereof to function as a spoon for the consumer of the first consumable product and the infused product. The tubular member preferably has a diameter of between three sixteenths and three eights of an inch. The infusable product may comprise a whippable cream and a pressurized gas expelled from the internal chamber.
The invention may also comprises a method for infusing a consumable infusable product into a customer-use container enclosing a first consumable product comprising: providing a static whipping device having an internal chamber containing a pressurized gas and an amount of the first consumable product; attaching an elongated discharge conduit to the internal chamber of the whipping device, the discharge conduit having a distal end with a control valve thereon, the control valve having an adaptor member arranged to slidably receive a single-product tubular-discharge member for discharge of an infusable edible product into the first consumable product; and sliding a single-product tubular member into snug engagement with the adaptor member for use as a straw by a consumer, after the tubular member has discharged the infusable edible product into the first consumable product. The method may include removing the tubular member from the adaptor to permit a consumer to use the tubular member as a straw after the tubular member has infused the infusable product into the container.
The invention may also comprise a method of infusing a central inner portion of a first consumable product in a consumer""s container with an edible whipped product, comprising the steps of: providing a static whipping device with a pressurized gas and a quantity of the first consumable product in an internal chamber of the device; arranging a conduit with a valve on a distal end thereof into fluid communication with the internal chamber; attaching a single serving tubular member onto the valve; inserting the tubular member into a central portion of the first consumable product in the consumer""s container; discharging a portion of the edible whipped product into the first consumable product in the consumer""s container; and removing the tubular member from the valve to permit the consumer to use the tubular member as a straw.